“What does the phrase ‘Selfless Services to Others’ mean to you?”

“Why is service relevant to you and our country?”

“How does service play a role in your everyday life and in your future goals?”

“How does service aid our communities and our country in becoming a better place?”

Three juniors, three seniors, and two instructors from Cedar Cliff High School’s JROTC program sat down and asked these four questions. Initially, I they agreed to be interviewed so that I could use these clips to create a video entry for the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation scholarship.  However, after watching the clips multiple times, I decided to use these responses for more than just a scholarship entry and set out to create a video essay on the idea of service.

The responses were varied and insightful as to how multiple people view service. Views ranged from selfless service, like Amy Gelnett’s comment on doing something good for others without expecting anything in return, to Peter Heasley’s statement about being willing to “sacrifice everything you have for the good of everyone else.”

According to Steven Irwin, service is relevant “because it is a vital part of the country.” Multiple examples of service by others were mentioned. Gelnett mentioned how The United States National Guard assists those affected by natural disasters. Heasley’s father serves in The United States Navy. Steven Myers plans on enlisting in The United States Air Force. Eric Ashley said, “Service is relevant simply because it is an expectation to be there for people, just for the greater good of the country and its citizens.”

Service plays a vital role in these interviewees’ lives. Cedar Cliff’s 1SG Michael Sullivan said that he joined the army because he wanted to serve and help and COL Frank Hancock, who went to West Point for four years and spent thirty years in the army. Heasley, Gelnett, Ryan Wittle, and Ashley found opportunities to serve through JROTC, such as lending a hand in the community, planning and working at Cedar Cliff’s Annual Veteran’s Day Spaghetti Dinner, and helping to organize, run, and donate blood for the Central Pennsylvania Blood Drive.

As for how service plays into everyone’s future goals, Myers, Heasley, Hancock, and Sullivan said they wanted to take the morals they have gained through their service and actively keep abiding by them. Wittle said service has given him an insight into his future and Ashley said that service plays into his future goals because he wants to serve his country in The United States Air Force.

According to Myers and Irwin, service aids our communities through the country’s volunteers, first responders, law enforcement, and military service members. Another example mentioned by Ashley, Hancock, and Sullivan is that communities work together to donate blood for those who direly need it in order to survive accidents and tragedies. Having volunteers and taking such actions gives back to the community while providing people with the things they need. Overall, these factors make not only our citizens better community members, but it makes our country a better place.

Heasley said that selfless service can allow you to give everything you have into making everything more positive. “You can turn your community into a better place and help save the country or really anyone from someone or something that could hurt them.”